Header for steam-boilers



(Nb Model.)

E. H. BENNETT. HEADER EOE STEAM BOILEES.

Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

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.boxes or headers adapted to other uses.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

EDWIN H. BENNETT, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY.

HEADER FR STEAM-BOILERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,393, dated October 18, 18.92.

Application tiled March 26, 1891. Serial No. 386,570. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bayonne, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headers for Steam- Boilers, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates generally to sectional steam-boilers-as, for instance, 'of the wellknown Babcock and Wilcox type. It, however, relates more particularly to the method of forming and constructing the tube-boxes or headers of such boilers, the invention being, also, applicable to like forms of metal In the approved form of this type of sectional steam-boilers the series of tubes are arranged together, forming a rectangular pile of tubes, which, with respect to each other, are arranged in quincunX order, and the tubes-as, for instance, each vertical series of tubes of the pile-are united in a single header or box. These headers in the preferred form, owing to the said order in which the tubes are arranged, are of serpentine or crooked form so far as two of their opposite sides are concerned, made of wrought-iron and havin gopenings to receive the tube ends and for hand-hole plates in line with the tube-openings to enable the latter to be cleaned and inspected from time to time. In view of the serpentine form of the headers it has been necessary heretofore to form them by a series of steps, each step employing different dies and requiring a reheating of the partially-formed header, and to employ a sectional or collapsible mandrel, so that it could be Withdrawn from the header after being formed around it.

It is the object of the present invention to obviate the necessity for the reheating of the header during its manufacture, to dispense With the use of such a mandrel, and to enable the same-shaped headers to be readily made by the simple operation of suitable dies and each portion at a single operation; and to this end the invention consists in the novel method and construction hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in 'which- Figure l is an end elevation of a header, which, so far as outward appearance is concerned, is of the usual serpentine form. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of a portion or one-half of the improved header, foreshortened for economy of space. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the two halves of the header before they are placed together and united. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the completed header. Fig. G is alongitudinal section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a similar view of a modified form, illustrating an independent end piece in p0- sition to be welded to the header; and Fig. 8 is an elevation of the end piece, looking at its inner side.

The improved headerA consists, essentially, of two portions ct b of similar shape and dimensions, and also of suchshape that when placed together and united will form a complete header, as indicated in Figs. l, 2, and 5. Each of the portions ct h is formed of a single piece of metal shaped by suitable dies to form, preferably, acurved or serpentine side 2, a flat side 3, extending at right angles to the other side, the outer longitudinal edge of which fiat side of each portion is curved to correspond with the curve of the serpentine side of the other portion, and opposite ends 4. In order to prepare the contiguous meeting or abutting edges of the two portions ct b so that they may be readily and speedily assembled and united, the edge of each of the ends 4t is preferably inclined on the line 1, and the longitudinal edges of the sides 2 and 3 are also inclined in alignment therewith, so that said edges and the edge of each of the ends may be dressed in a single operation. Thus each portion o, l) is substantially one-half of the header, which thus only require to be assembled and united by welding upon the four contiguous edges to complete the formation of the header. At the same time the metal is shaped to provide the two sides and the ends of each portion o. b of the dies may be constructed to provide in the side 3 of the portion b the tube-openings 5, and in the side 3 of the portion amthe hand-hole seats and openings 6,

which when the two portions are assembled and united together, as in Figs. 5 and 6, will extend opposite one another.

From the foregoing it will be understood that each portion a b, with its respective tube and hand-hole openings, is completely IOO formed at a singleoperation ot thedies, and that after the meeting edges of said two portions have been dressed to form a initer or other joint it simply requires that they shall be united by welding upon said meeting or mitered edges to complete the header. A con` venient mode of welding said two portions together is by the use of the now well-known electric-welding described here.

At one end of the header it is necessary to provide an end opening 7. (Indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 6 and in full lines in Fig. 7.) This may be provided by punching a piece of metal of the required size out from the end of the header after the two portions have been welded together, or by entirely omitting one of the ends of the header and providing a separate end piece 8, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) having the end opening 7 and provided with a stepped portion 9,'adapted to tit within the four sides of the header, and thus forni a convenient mode of centering'the separate end onto the end of the header, so that the parts will be properly assembled in alignnient with one another, ready to be Weldedtogether as by the process heretofore'described.

No specific form of dies capacitated to the process, which need not be forihation of the portions a h with their respective tube and hand-hole openings has 3o been deemed'necessary to either show or describe, as they do not form any part of the present invention. y

What is claimed is-" 1. The method of forming a header in two 35 longitudinal parts, as described, consisting in forming each part of the desired shape 1n cross-section and producing the respective hand-hole and tube openings at the same operation and subsequently welding the parts 4o together, as set forth.

2. A wrought header composed of separate longitudinal parts joinedtogether on a line inclined to the axis of the headenas described. 3. A wrought header composed of separate 45 parts joined together, each part including two sides anda portionpof one or both ends, as described.` M 1 4. A wrought header corhposed'of separate parts, each part having two sides provided 5o with welded end plates, as described.

EDWIN H. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

CHAs. W. FORBES, N. MAKLER. 

